Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Every
year about this time, I write to encourage you to comment on the update to the
Regional Transportation Improvement Program, or “TIP” – a five-year budget of
federally funded and regionally significant transportation projects. Like any
budget, it is detailed and can be intimidating.

That
said, your feedback is important. I’ve developed my own “Top 10” list of why
you should take the time to review and comment on the FY2017 – 2021 TIP, which
is open for public comment through September 19, 2016.

10. The
population of Ada and Canyon Counties is expected to increase by over 440,000
people by the year 2040, for a total forecasted population of 1.022 million. That’s
a lot more people using our transportation system.

8. Idaho received a “C-” on its American
Society of Civil Engineers infrastructure report card.

7. The TIP budgets federal transportation
funding, but the federal gas tax that supplies most of that funding has not
been raised since 1993. Needless to say, that money doesn’t go nearly as far as
it did 23 years ago.

6. Time spent in traffic is time away from
your family and business. The time it takes to travel from Caldwell to Boise is
forecasted to double by 2040.

5. The Federal Highway Administration
estimates that every $1 spent on road, highway, and bridge improvements results
in an average benefit of $5, in the form of reduced vehicle and road
maintenance costs, delays, fuel consumption, and emissions, as well as improvements
to safety as a result of improved traffic flow.

4. 30%
of Idaho’s major roads are in poor condition. Driving on poor roads costs each
Idaho motorist an average of $519 per year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs. The
TIP is focused on maintenance to address these issues.

3. Roadway conditions are a significant
factor in approximately one-third of traffic fatalities. One-hundred eight-six people
died on Idaho roads (statewide) in 2014.

2.It’s
easier than ever to see how projects in the TIP align with regional goals. With
each project description you will see a menu that shows which performance
measures are met (from Communities in Motion 2040) that specific project supports.

1. Projects included in the FY2017 – 2021 are budgeted at over $370 million, but we are still $150 million short of meeting transportation needs, each year, in Ada and Canyon Counties.

Our
quality of life is directly tied to the quality of our transportation system.
That, combined with a growing population and limited transportation funding,
leads to some very tough decisions. Your input is needed to ensure we are
making the best investments possible.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Think
for a moment about what you saw out your window yesterday and what stories you
have seen in the news. I’m willing to bet that, like me, much of what you saw,
heard, and read had something to do with preparing for our future – road
construction, new buildings, discussions of the millennial generation and what
changes they will bring, emerging technologies, business expansion, maintaining
our quality of life, and more.

At
COMPASS, we are always looking to – and planning for – the future of Ada and
Canyon Counties. You need look no further than the top of our website to see what we are all about – “working
together to plan for the future.”

Our main
tool for planning for the future is Communities
in Motion – the regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon
Counties. This plan looks 20+ years into the future to plan not only for
transportation, but also for those elements that affect, or are affected by,
transportation, such as housing, economic development, and health.

However,
we certainly aren’t the only ones with an eye toward the future.

Each
year, through the COMPASS Leadership in Motion awards, we honor those people
and projects who, like us, are planning for the future and implementing Communities in Motion.

To do
that, we need your help. For someone to receive an award, they first must be
nominated.

Think
about what you see happening around you to prepare for the future, then
nominate a project, or the person behind the project, to recognize their
contributions to a better future for all of us.

Anyone may submit a nomination and
anything or anyone (other than COMPASS staff) that is implementing the goals of
Communities in Motion is eligible to
be nominated. Keep in mind that a project does not need to be a
“transportation” project to be submitted for a Leadership in Motion award.

Details
on award categories, as well as a link to the nomination form, can all be found
here.

Nominations
for COMPASS Leadership in Motion awards will be accepted through 3:00 pm, Friday, September 30, 2016.
Awards will be presented at the COMPASS/Valley Regional Transit holiday
luncheon on Monday, December 19, 2016.

Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho

COMPASS is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization responsible for transportation planning in Ada and Canyon Counties. The COMPASS Board comprises 39 members representing the cities, counties, highway districts, educational institutions, state agencies, and other entities within the two counties. COMPASS plays an important role in making decisions about future long-range transportation needs in the Treasure Valley, taking into consideration environmental and economic factors that affect the quality of life.

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Matt Stoll, Executive Director

Matt Stoll has been the Executive Director of the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) since 2004. Under Matt’s direction, COMPASS has focused on developing and retaining collaborative and cooperative partnerships with local, state, and federal planning agencies and with Treasure Valley communities.

Matt has a Bachelor of Arts degree in geography from the State Univer­sity of New York and a Master of Arts degree in geography from Arizona State University. He is married with two daughters and is active in the Treasure Valley com­munity through his involvement in volunteer and non-profit organizations.

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